Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 RECAP: Start time and round-by-round updates as Bivol avenges his defeat to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion

What a night of boxing action. We've had it all and closed the event out with a demonstration of boxing at the very highest level.

It has been my pleasure to go through all of tonight's action with you. Come back next time for Mail Sport's live coverage of all the biggest sporting events.

Artur Beterbiev, speaking post-fight on TNT Sports Box Office:

I don't want to talk about the decision. I want to give congratulations to Bivol and his team.

Dmitry Bivol, speaking post-fight on TNT Sports Box Office:

I'm so happy. I went through a lot last year. thank you everybody so much, thank you so much His Excellency, everyone from my team Eddie, my coaches, thank you so much.

On getting over his first defeat:

To be honest, I lost and I felt a little bit easier maybe. I didn't have too much pressure like before the last fight. I just wanted to work from the first round to the end of the twelfth and I hoped I did enough.

On what changed from the first fight:

The difference between the last and this one? Just me. I was better, I was pushing myself more, I was more confident, I was lighter and I just wanted to win so much today.

We have a new undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world.

One judge had it even, but two scored in favour of Dmitry Bivol as he avenges the only defeat of his career by majority decision. (114-114, 116-112, 115-113)

Artur Beterbiev may well need to win this final round in order to retain his undisputed titles.

Both men seem to be aware of just how close this fight has been as they look to land damaging strikes.

Again it is Beterbiev leading the dance but Bivol remains elusive as he move laterally along the ropes.

Both fighters are leaving it all in the ring for these final seconds after 24 incredible rounds.

I certainly do not envy the judges on this one.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (114)-(114) 9 Bivol

Was Dmitry Bivol taking the last round off?

It certainly seems like that could be the case as he starts the 11th with more activity.

What is abundantly clear is that these two men are at the peak of their powers.

Beterbiev once again is moving forward but when he plants his feet to try and land scoring shots Bivol is prepared to counter with multiple strikes of his own.

Big flurry from the challenger at the end of the round has Eddie Hearn on his feet.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9 (104)-(105) 10 Bivol

If boxing rounds lasted 30 seconds, Beterbiev would be the greatest of all time.

I joke, of course, but there really is something special about the way he puts his foot on the accelerator the moment the round gets underway.

Bivol has slowed slightly after multiple strong rounds and Beterbiev will need to take advantage if he is to reclaim his advantage on the scorecards.

Much better work from the champion.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (95)-(95) 9 Bivol

Beterbiev attempts the aggresive start that brought him so much success in the early round but Bivol is wise to it and counters well on the back foot.

The crowd at the Kingdom Arena are making their allegiance to Bivol clear as his defensive mastery is on full display.

After making the champion miss wildly, Bivol responds with a pair of scoring strikes.

Bivol's shifting one-two really is something to behold, he rarely presents a stationary target and Beterbiev is struggling to find his mark.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9 (85)-(86) 10 Bivol

After seemingly abandoning his right hand due to injury Bivol is back throwing it with regularity here and it is starting to make a difference.

The champion remains in control of the distance but he is walking onto punches as he advances.

Beterbiev's output has slowed here and it is allowing Bivol to grow back into a fight that at one stage appeared to be getting away from him.

The champion fully commits to his devastating right hand but cannot find the mark seconds before the bell.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9 (76)-(76) 10 Bivol

Bivol's corner are scrambling to massage his legs between rounds, lending more credence to the idea that the challenger is carrying some kind of injury.

Once again the bell sounds to open the round and once agin Beterbiev is the aggressor early.

Though he remains on the back foot Bivol is managing to respond with shots that find their way through his opponent's guard.

A much closer round that the challenger just edges.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9 (67)-(66) 10 Bivol

Once again Bivol appears reluctant to throw his right hand as Beterbiev continues to pressure him onto the back foot.

The champion is mixing up his jab masterfully but is still yet to find a consistent home for the right hand that has downed so many fighters throughout the years.

The relentless pace this fight is being contested at at this stage seems more suited to Beterbiev as he lands a good shot to the body.

Bivol offers more resistance towards the end of the round but it is not enough.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (58)-(56) 9 Bivol

Despite struggling for much of the fourth round Bivol started to find his mark before the bell sounded.

Once again at the start fifth though, Beterbiev is taking control and is dictating both the range and pace of the fight.

Bivol appears reluctant to throw his right hand as he steps forward with a triple jab.

If it is an injury that is causing Bivol's reluctance to release his rear hand he will need to change his strategy quickly against a fighter of Beterbiev's calibre.

Beterbiev is putting on a fabulous pace here.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (48)-(47) 9 Bivol

Yet another aggresive start from Beterbiev as he wades forward despite Bivol's attempts to keep him at bay.

A good shot makes its way through the guard for the champion and he follows it up with another solid right hand.

Bivol's activity has slowed down here and it is allowing Beterbiev to do his best work of the fight so far.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (38)-(38) 9 Bivol

Much better work from Bivol early on here.

The younger fighter is responding with combinations when Beterbiev attempts to step in to land his damaging punches.

Beterbiev remains on the front foot however, and is piling on the pressure as he attempts to corner the challenger.

Both men open up to end the round.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9 (28)-(29) 10 Bivol

This is more of what we have come to expect from Artur Beterbiev. He opens the round by marching forward and forcing Bivol to fight on the outside.

The 40-year-old was the more active of the two fighters in their first encounter and he will look to replicate that approach after a quiet opening round.

Bivol catches his opponent stepping in with a good right hand.

Another close round but Beterbiev's forward pressure gets him the nod on our scorecard.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 10 (19)-(19) 9 Bivol

This is one for the purists.

The two best fighters on the planet at 175lbs are in the ring and we are underway.

Bivol starts aggressively and lances forward with a strong jab before Beterbiev looks to respond.

Unlike the first fight Bivol is refusing to take a backwards step and is meeting the feared knockout artist in the centre of the ring.

Strong work from the challenger to close out the opening round.

Mail Sport score card: Beterbiev 9-10 Bivol

After the kind of elaborate video package that has become a regular feature of these Riyadh Season events we are now just moments away from our main event.

When these two first met back in October Artur Beterbiev was given the nod in a controversial judges' decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight king of the four-belt era.

Tonight, Dmirty Bivol will look to avenge the only blemish on his professional record in what promises to be another thrilling exhbition of pugilism at the very highest level.

Eddie Hearn, speaking on TNT Sports Box Office:

For me [Bivol] won the first fight. Very close fight but clearly he's got to do more and that's dangerous against Artur Beterbiev. This is about discipline and concentration.

Artur Beterbiev is like a ticking time bomb and it's how long you can keep him off before it goes boom. Last time it was nine rounds and then 10/11/12 was treacherous so he's got to stay focused for the full duration.

In my opinion Beterbiev will come faster this time and try and walk him down and try and get hold of him earlier in the fight. It's gonna be a tough night's work but I believe Dmitry Bivol will be undisputed champion in 45 minutes.

Turki Al-Sheikh, speaking on TNT Sports Box Office:

It is big and it is the best. We still have a lot of things coming this year. We have Eubank and Benn at the Tottenham Stadium in April.

We have Garcia vs Haney in New York and then we have Canelo here at the Kingdom Arena.

Met with a sharp cold, a cutting chill that seeped into your bones and made you rethink every decision that led you to Montreal. The temperature was a biting minus 18 degrees stepping off the plane, the wind slicing through the streets with a certain unforgiving edge.

The snow blanketed the ground, its thickness making it look like the city had been shaken inside a giant snow globe. Each exhale formed clouds of breath that vanished into the crisp winter air. But fortunately we weren't here on holiday. Our purpose was clear—we had come to witness the undisputed light-heavyweight champion, Artur Beterbiev, preparing for his rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

We checked into a modest motel on a quiet street, tucked far off the usual tourist paths, right next to a dive bar where the locals likely forgot what 'closed hours' even meant. To an outsider, it might've seemed an odd choice, but it worked. Beterbiev, the man who had secured his crown with a victory over Bivol in October 2024, was here, training with an intensity that could only be described as relentless.

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It would be hard to describe the fight week Joseph Parker has had as routine but that is about as comfortable a victory as he could have hoped for.

A big right hand towards the end of the second round lands on the top of Bakole's head and leaves him crashing down to canvas.

The referee took a quick look at Bakole and immediately decided that he was in no fit state to continue.

For Parker this win must come as a relief as it keeps him firmly on track to compete for a chance to win a second world heavyweight title this year.

In contrast, it's hard to take much from Bakole's performance given his lack of preparation but he will remain one of the most dangerous contenders in the division going forward.

Parker lands a strong one-two but Bakole responds on the counter with a short right hand that appears to have bloodied Parker's nose.

For a man who has not been training consistently in the lead up to this fight Bakole is keeping an impressive pace early.

But Parker lands a big right hand and Bakole has dropped to the canvas.

And it's over!

The referee has waved the fight off - just as quickly as this fight started to open up, it is over.

Our second heavyweight fight of the evening is underway.

The first thing that stands out is the difference in speed between the lightweight contest we just witnessed and these two big men.

But make no mistake, if either of these men land clean this fight could be over in an instant.

Parker starts positively as he jabs Bakole to the body before commiting to his first power punch in the closing stages of the round.

Not an awful lot of action to score but you have to think fireworks will follow when these two open up.

Another fight, another late replacement with a fascinating story to tell.

Just days ago Joseph Parker was readying himself to fight for a chance to become a two-time world heavyweight champion against Daniel Dubois.

However, after Dubois was forced to withdraw due to illness, burgenoning heavyweight prospect Martin Bakole agreed to step in on short notice.

After travelling more than 3000 miles, Bakole arrived in Saudi Arabia just 24 hours ago and will now look to secure the biggest win of his career to date.

The Congolese fighter is not in fight shape and weighed in at over 300lbs so watch for him to look to secure an early finish against the ever-durable Kiwi.

Martin Bakole is no stranger to stepping up when others won’t with his latest challenge being no exception.

After Daniel Dubois was forced to withdraw due to illness, Bakole has agreed to fight former world champion Joseph Parker on just two days' notice.

The Congolese heavyweight is coming into the fight without a training camp and tipped the scales at 315 pounds - just under 23 stone - when he did an exclusive weigh-in with Mail Sport on Friday night, making this an unusual but potentially dangerous matchup for Parker.

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Eventually the onslaught was just too much.

After recording three kncokdowns in the ninth round Shakur Stevenson is delcared the winner after Josh Padley's corner throws in the towel.

Stevenson adapted well throughout here to improve his perfect record to 23-0 but some praise has to go to Padley.

The Yorkshireman was not intent just to survive and gave everything he had to valiantly push the pace after stepping in on less than one week's notice.

Stevenson lands a incredible combination against the ropes followed by a body shot that finally puts Padley to the canvas.

The Brit manages to get back to his feet but he is going to need to weather a serious storm here.

He responds well after getting back to his feet but Stevenson again puts him down to the body with 45 seconds left in the round.

Stevenson is absolutely punishing the body and finds a third knockdown.

And the towel is in! It's all over!

At the midway point of the eighth round Stevenson is starting to really pile on the pressure.

But just as we've seen in the last 22 minutes of action, Josh Padley is determined to ensure that now strike goes unanswered.

A couple good right hands against the ropes score for Stevenson but you have to imagine he'll be wondering what he need to do to get Padley out of there.

Against all the odds, Josh Padley is entering the second half of this fight.

Every time Stevenson lands one of his lightning quick punches the Yorkshireman is determined to fire back in bunches.

If Stevenson didn't respect his opponent before this evening, he certainly does now.

In any case, Stevenson is well in control now and will likely have a commanding lead on the judges' scorecards.

Still, it's hard not to admire what a heroic effort we've witnessed so far.

Strong flurry from Padley at the start of the sixth round but Stevenson responds emphatically with a right hand in close.

The champion starts to pour on the pressure but Padley bravely marches forward into the eye of the storm.

A flurry from Stevenson lands flush but once again Padley responds with shots of his own.

We've heard on commentary that Padley was given a house for stepping in on short notice and on this evidence he has more than earned his reward.

What a fight.

It's another decent start for the Brit as he attempts to put some offence together against one of the sport's premier talents.

Stevenson has a smile on his face and continues to benefit from a significant speed advantage but this fight is by no means one way traffic as so many expected it would be.

Stevenson punishes the body at the end of the round but Padley is determined to make this a fight.

Padley is having success in making this fight ugly early in the fourth round and doesn't seem phased by the occassion.

Unfortunately for the challenger Stevenson only seems to be growing into the fight as he finds a consistent home for his jab over the Yorkshireman's lead left hand.

It's another round in the books for Stevenson but Padley is giving a brave effort.

Padley lands a good shot but is immediately hit back by Stevenson who responds with two of his own.

The champion's lightning hand speed has consistently frustrated his opponents but Padley is showing great will in remaining in the pocket and firing back at every opportunity.

Stevenson is starting to find a home for his jab and ends the round with a strong flurry.

Chants of 'One Josh Padley' ring out from the crowd as he looks to find an opening early in the second round.

Stevenson is yet to really put his foot on the accelerator but Padley deserves credit for making this awkward.

Stevenson lands a solid three-punch combination after commiting to stepping into range for the first time in the contest.

If he is to be outclassed, it's not happening yet.

A tentative start from both men as Padley looks to settle himself against the masterful southpaw Stevenson.

Padley earns a smile from his opponent after landing a decent shot to the body on his way in.

Solid start from the unlikely challenger.

For as long as there have been fighters brave enough to step inside the ring, fans have eulogised about the underdog story.

Buster Douglas, Ingemar Johansson and Leon Spinks wrote their names in the history books by upsetting the odds and doing that was previously believed to be impossible.

If Josh Padley is able to secure victory tonight, he will surely join them in the ranks of the greatest upsets in the history of prizefighting.

The Yorkshire-born electrician has stepped in on short notice to face one of the world's premier pound-for-pound talents in Shakur Stevenson and will be hoping to have his Rocky moment at the Kingdom Arena.

We go to the judges scorecards and the fight is declared a split draw. (115-114 Sheeraz, 118-110 Adames, 114-114)

The result is somewhat surprising given Adames' dominance throughout much of the second half of the fight.

In any case, Sheeraz walks away with his undefeated record intact and will no doubt look towards a rematch going forward.

Prior to the decision being read Sheeraz looked to have damaged his left hand, which could explain his lack of activity during the middle rounds.

Hamzah Sheeraz enters the twelth round for the first time in his career and he will need to summon every ounce of strength available to him if he is to turn the tide of this fight late.

He steps onto the front foot and looks to land heavy shots behind his jab but Adames is able to negate the damage with his head movement.

Both fighters are really opening up with just 90 seconds remaining in this world title fight.

An uppecut from Adames finds its target but Sheeraz responds well with a stiff jab.

We're going to the scorecards, and you have to wonder whether Sheeraz has done enough to turn the tide of the fight and get his hand raised.

This fight is in danger of running away from Hamzah Sheeraz.

The Briton started the fight well and boxed confidently behind his jab but has increasingly found himself attempting to respond to the activity of Adames.

Sheeraz needs to step his foot on the accelarator and he is doing just that but in attempting to put some punches together he is leaving himself open to be countered by the seemingly indefatigable Adames.

A great left hand from Sheeraz gets the crowd on its feet in Riyadh to close out the round.

Can he go one step further in the final round?

Sheeraz is told by his corner between rounds that he is winning the fight.

That assessment certainly does not reflect the way this clash has been going over the last few rounds.

Adames is the more aggresive fighter of the pair and is becoming more and more confident stepping into range to land punches.

Adames has really upped the volume in the last few rounds.

Sheeraz isn't in danger of being overhwhelmed as he responds with short punches on the inside but he needs to find some scoring shots in the event this is settled by the judges' scorecards.

A pair of low blows from Adames recieves little more than a warning from the referee and the champion will no doubt be grateful not to have been docked a point as he continues to grow in confidence.

The referee intervenes early in round 8 but both men waste little time in getting back to trading punches.

Adames manages to get through the guard with his best punch of the fight thus far as he connects with a looping overhand to the chin of the challenger.

Sheeraz needs to up his activity levels in the face of a champion who appears to be growing in confidence as we approach the final third of the 12-round contest.

Adames is finding success hunting to the body of the taller man but Sheeraz's long jab continues to give him something to think about.

The activity from the Briton has slowed somewhat here as Adames starts to find his range and land with more consistency.

Former foes Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua appear to be engaged in an animated conversation as they watch on at ringside.

Adames is opening up more early in the sixth but is leaving openings as he does so.

But can Sheeraz capitalise?

For the first time in the fight the undefeated Brit is positioning himself in the middle of the ring and looking to stand and trade with Adames.

A lead uppercut finds its mark for the challenger as the crowd really starts to pick up.

Adames is starting to get frustrated as Sheeraz continues to control the distance on the back foot.

The champion offers a timely reminder of what makes him so dangerous when he briefly corners Sheeraz and lands a right hand through the guard.

However, Sheeraz's defence is holding up well for the most part and opportunities to land clean shots appear to be few and far between.

Sheeraz commits to putting his punches together for the first time and lands a good hook to the body early in round four.

The champion is displaying good head movement in the face of a consistent jab but Sheeraz's activity is enough to deny him any opportunity to land damaging strikes.

Another glimpse of what Sheeraz can do when he plants his feet at the end of the round as he lands a pair of scoring punches before the bell.

Lively start from Adames as he looks to open up on a retreating Sheeraz.

Once again though Sheeraz's jab is proving an effective deterrant when Adames looks to build some early momentum.

The champion is remaining paitient however, and is yet to really attempt to put punches together in combination.

Roberto Duran watches on at ringside as the vaunted WBC title he once fought for is on the line.

Adames is coming forward and closing the gap as he looks to punish the body on his way in.

Sheeraz's jab is as dangerous as ever though, as he lances a long left hand in just to give the champion something to think about as he tries to get in close.

After finding a home for his jab, Sheeraz commits to a right hand towards the end of the round and finds his target.

Sheeraz is huge for a middleweight.

The 6ft 3in fighter has utilised his size and jab throughout his perfect career but will need to be at his best tonight if he is to keep Adames at bay.

Unsurprisingly, Adames has wasted little time trying to negate that size difference by closing the disatance and pushing Sheeraz against the ropes.

British electrician Josh Padley will switch to boxing gloves for his tools of choice on Saturday night after accepting a last-minute world title shot in Saudi Arabia.

The part-time sparky from Yorkshire was not supposed to be in the ring this weekend, but he has jumped at the opportunity to fight on the big stage following a late withdrawal in Riyadh.

US superstar Shakur Stevenson was due to defend his WBC lightweight title against fellow countryman Floyd Schofield Jr, but the latter pulled out after being hospitalised due to illness.

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Britain could have a new world champion on the horzion as Hamzah Sheeraz prepares to fight for a title he has been training for since he was a child.

Standing in his way is the Dominican Carlos Adames.

Adames has suffered just a single defeat in his professional career, and makes his way to the ring wearing a robe reminiscent of the great Marvin Hagler.

After 12 hard-fought rounds the judges have come to their decision and all three have Ortiz winning on points. (117-111, 115-113, 115-113)

Madrimov's lateral movement caused problems early for Ortiz, but the 26-year-old remained composed and utilised his openings as they appeared to grow into the contest.

Both fighters have enjoyed their share of success here and it could all come down to this.

Both men are intent on securing a strong finish in the 12th and final round as they exchange shots.

Big uppercut from Madrimov as he appears to have called on a second wind with just 90 seconds remaining in the contest.

This is an incredible pace after 12 hard-fought rounds, and Madrimov is lucky to escape punishment as he is again warend for leading with his head as he marches forward.

A close round to close out what has been a close fight.

Now all eyes turn to the judges...

You might not have expected for this one to reach the championship rounds but we're here, and the threat of the finish is as present as ever.

The defensive efficiency exhibited in the early rounds has dropped off, and now the two fighters are more freely exhanging punches in the centre of the ring.

Madrimov had looked to be slowing in the last few rounds but he's recovered well and remains in this fight.

Ortiz looks to land shots in close but he is smothered by the Uzbek fighter who responds with punches of his own at the bell.

It's a change of approach from Madrimov in the tenth round as he presses forward for the first time in the fight and looks to close the distance.

Ortiz is using the pressure to his advantage, finding space to land damaging hooks to the body.

Madrimov has been leading with his head as he stalks forward but the referee elects not to take a point.

Both fighters exchange punches to close out the round but there's no denying that Ortiz is the fresher of the two men at this stage.

Madrimov remains on the backfoot as he has been for so much of this fight.

The telling difference however, is unlike in the earlier rounds, when he find himself cornered by Ortiz he is taking much longer to pivot away from the ropes.

Ortiz is building momentum every time he opens up with punches and Madrimov at this tage is struggling to find an answer.

A thudding body shot and an uppercut from Ortiz closes out what has been the best of the fight for the American.

The pendulum appears to be swinging in Ortiz's favour as we approach the later rounds.

The younger man has pop in his punches but whether he will get the chance to land a telling blow remains to be seen.

Madrimov is looking for a huge punch to open the seventh but his attempt narrowly misses and Ortiz responds with a good combination.

The footwork that brought Madrimov so much success early is still on display but Ortiz is slowly finding more and more opportunities to land punches.

Good body work from Ortiz on a retreating Madrimov as we start to see more clinching as the fight wears on.

Well that certainly answers my question.

Madrimov is starting to slow down here in the sixth and Ortiz is finally able to start opening up as he slowly pressures his man into the corner.

Madrimov remains dangerous however, and is looking for an opening to land a devastating counter.

The sparks have been lit, but will this fight ingnite in the second half? We will soon find out...

Madrimov gets a stern word from the referee for appearing to attempt to step on Ortiz's foot as he closed the distance.

I have to say the Uzbek fighter is doing a wonderful job thus far of nullifying Ortiz, providing very few opportunities for the Texan to mount offence.

The question on my mind is whether he can keep up this movement for all twelve rounds.

Ortiz will certainly be hoping that he slows as the fight wears on.

The aforementioned Crawford is watching on at ringside in what has been a largely tentative opening here.

Madrimov continues to effectively shift on the outside and appears to be starting to frustrate Ortiz who has had little chance to showcase his vaunted power.

Ortiz could do with upping his output here as Madrimov continues to impress the judges with his work on the back foot.

Robert Garcia in the Ortiz corner was imploring his fighter to increase the volume this round in a bid to deal with Madrimov's evasive movement.

The problem as Ortiz is finding out however, is Madrimov is just entirely unwilling to give him the space to operate as he remains mobile on the outside.

Ortiz lands his first real solid shot of the round after cornering Madrimov, but the right hand to follow the body shot fails to find its mark.

Again Madrimov starts the round dancing on the outside and remaining elusive.

When Ortiz looks to commit early, he slips out of the corner and lands a nice two-punch combination.

A crisp right hand lands for Madrimov and there appears to be some swelling below Ortiz's right eye.

For a man stepping into just his 12th fight as a professional, Madrimov has a wealth of experience between the ropes.

The Uzbek fighter had more than 300 wins as an amateur and looked impressive in defeat to pound-for-pound great Terrance Crawford back in August.

His comfort in the ring is evidenced here by his hands-down style, slipping fluidly around on the outside as he looks to land counters.

It's been a tentative start from Ortiz but he has remained on the front foot as he searches for openings of his own.

We're wasting no time tonight.

In what many have tipped to be the fight of the night (although its already facing some heavy competition) Israil Madrimov takes on the undefeated Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Ortiz has an incredible record of 21 stoppages in his 22 fights as a professional so do not blink.

Have we just witnessed the birth of a new heavyweight contender?

Agit Kabayel has flown largely under the radar despite racking up a perfect professional record across his 26 fights.

The 32-year-old demonstrated incredible bravery to get off the canvas and return right back to his gameplan of exhausting Zhang with consistent pressure.

For the first time in his professional career Zhang has been stopped inside the distance.

With his 42nd birthday on the horizon, it's hard to imagine Zhang will be able to find his way back to the top of an increasingly stacked heavyweight division.

I'd hate to be the one to jinx it but, so far, these fights are really living up to the hype.

You certainly wouldn't think Kabayel was hurt in the fifth round with how aggressively he's started the sixth.

The German fighter looks to have received a standing count following a momentary pause after he landed a clubbing blow on Zhang but the referee does not start the count.

Zhang looks exhausted here and he's down! The Chinese fighter could not handle the pace of Kabayel and fails to the beat the count!

Kabayel is down!

The German once again looks to pour on the volume early in the fifth but few men in the heavyweight division possess power quite like Zhang and he drops his opponent with a short southpaw left hook.

Kabayel climbs off the canvas and looks to have recovered well as he moves back onto the front foot.

A warning shot has been landed. Can Zhang seize the initiative and continue to land damaging shots as we approach the halfway point?

You have to be impressed with Kabayel here.

The younger man starts aggressively once again, immediately taking the centre of the ring and pushing Zhang onto the back foot.

Zhang continues to find counters as he retreats but the activity is certainly in favour of the German.

The referee steps in to warn Zhang for pushing away at his opponent, but what else can he do? Kabayel's volume is hugely impressive for a fighter of his size.

For all of Zhang's vaunted power in close, Kayabel appears to be content to put the pressure on and fight on the inside.

The two heavyweights are trading punches in close, and Kayabel seems perfectly content to trade punches with Zhang.

Kabayel lands a two-punch combination to the body to close out the round as the momentum appears to be starting to swing in his favour.

Kabayel has really started pushing the pace to open this second round but Zhang is consistently making him pay for stepping in with short, heavy punches.

Eight years younger than his opponent, Kabayel needs to remain busy on the outside and negate Zhang's power early before seizing control of the clash.

Another decent round for the Chinese fighter here.

Anthony Joshua is at ringside tonight, and this bout could well serve as eliminator for his next opponent.

Zhang is stalking forward as he looks to land the kind of right hand that saw him KO Joe Joyce in their rematch back in 2023.

Not an awful lot of action early here but Zhang was the move active fighter.

We're wasting no time here this evening and just as soon as the ring was cleared following Smith vs Buatsi we now await the first of tonight's two heavyweight showdowns.

Agit Kabayel has enjoyed a perfect start to his 25-fight professional career, capturing the European heavyweight title in the process.

Tonight though, he faces the toughest test of his career when he takes on 2008 Olympic silver medallist Zhilei Zhang.

The 41-year-old has demonstrated otherwordly KO power of late so do not be surprised if the judges are not required for this one...

Callum Smith gets the nod on the judges' scorecards to become a two-weight world champion as he captures the interim WBO light heavyweight title.

The judges scorecards ran the gamut in terms of disparity, with one giving Smith the win 119-110 while the other two 115-113, 116-112.

In truth the fight was too competitive for such a wide margin of victory but Smith has left no doubts that he is still an elite level fighter.

Meanwhile Buatsi will need to go back to the drawing board after suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

What an incredible fight.

Callum Smith and Joshua Buatsi just put on an early contender for the fight of the year in Riyadh.

The 34-year-old Smith produced a vintage performance, rolling back the years in a back-and-forth clash over 12 action-packed rounds.

Both men had their moments but Smith appeared to land the heavier shots and enjoyed the momentum late on.

Martin Bakole has the opportunity of a lifetime to score a historic upset after stepping in at short notice to replace Daniel Dubois.

The burgeoning heavyweight prospect will take on former world champion Joseph Parker in tonight's co-main event.

Bakole travelled over 3000 hours on short notice to make his way to the Kingdom Arena, but what will his purse be?

Click below to find out...

Mail Sport's Charlotte Daly in Riyadh:

Usyk’s team, Frank Warren and Spencer Brown all seen heading into a lift together - could they be talking about Usyk vs Dubois II after Usyk saying he wants the fight?

We've already mentioned just how strong tonight's card is but just to give you some indication, Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith are currently going to war in just the third fight of the night.

The all-British light heavyweight affair has been exhilarating thus far, with an exhausting round six that saw both fighters landing heavy shots getting a standing ovation from those watching at ringside.

It's anyone's fight as we approach the later rounds...

These Riyadh Season blockbusters consistently attract some of the biggest stars from the world of sport and entertainment.

Tonight will be no different, as Mail Sport took a sneak peek of the luxury ringside seats reserved for the VIPs.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become a regular feature at combat sports events since joining Saudi club Al-Nassr, and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will have an ideal view of all of tonight's action.

For so many years boxing has been criticised for fans being denied the chance to see the best fight the best, and for cards that were presently solely on the strength of their headline bout.

Luckily, tonight not only do we get the two best fighters in the world at 175lbs meeting again for what promises to be another instant classic, we also have one of the best top-to-bottom cards in modern boxing history.

Even amidst the drama that this fight week has managed to produce, it's hard to recall any event that can match tonight's when it comes to the starpower on display.

So, let's take a look at what we can look forward to, shall we?

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol

Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole

Shakur Stevenson vs Josh Padley

Carlos Adames vs Hamzah Sheeraz

Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov

Zhilei Zhang vs Agit Kabayel

...and welcome to Mail Sport's live blog for tonight's highly-anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

We'll have all the news and updates in the lead up to tonight's undisputed light heavyweight headliner and the absolutely stacked undercard that will precede it.